Gada
The Southern Gada is a large wild Camelid native to the Tagka archipelago and the Uric Peninsula. The name Gada is derived from the Panpan word for the northerly variety of it, Gararowenīgi which means "Northern Wanderer". Some Tagka tribes also called it the Ha-ha after their unusual loud trilling call. Distribution: of the range of the Southern Gada only includes this specific species of Gada and not the entire genus are the stockiest of the Western Camelid species, and are well adapted to a colder climate. They are most numerous on the remote western edge of the Uric peninsula where there are fewer human herders to compete with for grazing sites. Smaller populations exist on both Dog islands while a tiny population clings to patches of native grasses on the Daggers. There are sizable populations of Gada extending north through the more forested interior all the way through the southerly edge of the Panos but they are a distinct population known to the Tagka as the Forest Gada or Moss Gada. These are the animals known to the Panpan as the Gararowenigi. Gada live in both flat grassland and mountainous terrain. On the Uric Peninsula they are concentrated as sprawling herds on the swampy grass plains on the coasts and will regularly make short forays across the coastal channels to reach isolated stands of nutritious grasses. The Tagka Archipelago is harsher, and Gada there live in smaller bands wandering the small areas of flat terrain and the hilly mountain interiors, climbing the granite cliffs to feed on rock sedges and mosses. Physical Characteristics: Gada range from a meter in height to a meter and a half, although some Continental Gada bulls have been recorded as being nearly two meters in height. They are not very heavy at about 150 kg on average. Their coloration varies between shades of rusty red, cinnamon and white. Some Gada are born with a mutation that leaves them entirely white, and these are venerated among the Tagka, who see them as the reborn spirits of shamans. They have long faces with thick eyelashes to protect against wind-blown sediment and wide chopping teeth that can cut through tough plant roots, and they possess vestigial shrunken canines from an ancestral omnivorous species. Their ears are short and pointed backwards. They have no visible dorsal hump, it having shrunken greatly compared to other members of their genus, to the point of only being visible in the summer months when their pelt is much lighter. The feet are narrow and with separate plantar pads for gripping on rough terrain. The tails are short and distinctively curled downwards with a thick patch of skin on the end. Gada possess curled horns that grow throughout their lives. These horns are used to break snow to reach food in winter and to fight other Gada. There is a medium level of sexual dimorphism; males are distinguished by larger overall body size and much larger horns. Female horns grow tighter together and are smaller. Because of their distribution across both a large landmass and an archipelago, the Gada have diverged to suit their distinct environments, but because of their relatively recent migration to the area and the geographic similarity of much of their habitat only two major sub-species can be distinguished, the ‘continental’ vs. the ‘island’ varieties of Gada. Continental Gada, sometimes called the Bearded Gada or Crested Gada because their tufted foreheads are the largest and most common variety. Native to the Uric peninsula, hence the name, they are taller and have a distinctive line of long white fur stretching from their belly to their chin. Their horns are larger and lighter in color. Island Gada are slighter and have longer legs to deal with rockier terrain but they also have denser more water-resistant hides. A distinctive feature used to tell the two sub-species apart is the feet. Continental Gada have much wider feet for traversing swathes of flat, often marshy terrain while Island Gada have powerful but narrow feet that can grip individual rocks on rocky island interiors, and their feet are flexible enough to function almost like human hands to maintain a strong foothold. Lifestyle: Gada herd sizes vary widely by habitat. Some herds in the northwestern Uric peninsula can exceed several hundred individuals but herds in the southerly edge of the Island Gada range are rarely larger than a dozen animals in total. Gada herds are divided into individual bands of females and calves and a smaller number of bull males. Most adult animals in a herd are female. Gada females give birth to many calves throughout their lives and can give birth while walking. It is not uncommon for not only a single Gada calf to have several bull males contributing to its parentage but also for Gada herds to go through wild population shocks after periods of good weather transition to harsher conditions. Gada mating season is in early winter with calves being born in the height of spring terms Gada mate October-November and give birth eleven months later in August. Males duel for females, using their horns, teeth and hooves as weapons. Calves can walk as soon as they are born and reach adult size very quickly. A healthy Gada can live for 20+ years. The main predators of the Gada are hyenas, gliders and bears. In the Uric Peninsula hyenas keep Gada populations under control while gliders do the same in the islands. Bears are omnivorous and Gada are ordinarily too fast for a bear to catch but if the bear can get close enough or if the Gada is wounded then the bear will hunt and kill it. Sheep-Cows (Ko in the Tagka language) rarely directly interact with Gada because the Gada’s natural skittishness, but a Sheep-Cow will easily seriously injure the smaller and frailer Gada, if not outright killing it. Interactions with Humans: Ever since sentient life first colonized the far south Gada have been a constant presence in the natural environment around them. The PET (Proto-Elbha-Tagka) tribes would hunt Gada, once very widespread all throughout the south for meat and hides. Once the Tagka began to move to the islands they encountered small native Gada populations living next to the native proto-human aborigines of the far south. Island Gada populations have consistently risen and fallen in sync with the size of Tagka populations as the Ko herds that define the Tagka lifestyle put serious pressure on the Gada’s food supply and habitat. Where they once roamed the entirety of the southern islands they have been already extirpated from the Gixa and Gull islands, and their population is severely reduced on the Dog Islands, having been pushed back mostly to the mountains except for small herds still grazing on the plains. The Uric tribes exist in a dense patchwork of settlements along the southern coast, subsisting on hunting, gathering and herding. The Gada serve as the main source of meat in the Uric diet, and their wool is spun into cloth. Gada have not been domesticated fully yet but there are already signs that process is intensifying with a possibly fully domesticated variety appearing soon. The most common method of gathering Gada wool is to follow a herd in early spring and gather the molted long-haired winter pelts. Gada are also caught and shorn but that is a much more difficult process unless the animal has lived near humans for most of its life. Hunting Gada among the Uric tribes takes two forms. Among herds of wild Gada small numbers of hunters use bows, spears and slings to pick off the weaker elements but among herds that live very close to human settlements individual Gada can be led away from the herd and slaughtered inside settlements far more casually. The Tagka have no semi-domesticated herds to draw from and must hunt wild Gada. Island Gada are less numerous, live in more rugged terrain and are more skittish which makes hunting a far more arduous experience. This means Gada form a smaller part of the Tagka diet and material culture overall. Still, Gada wool is an important element of Tagka clothing and their bones provide a useful source of hard materials in their less wooded environment. Wool is gathered in the same method as in the Uric Peninsula, plucked from molted winter coats left behind. Every part of the Gada has been adapted to the Tagka’s lifestyle. Their hide can be cleaned for drums, shields or cut into strips for rope. Gada femurs are drilled into flutes while their ribs are split and strung into jewelry. Tails are sown to belts as decorations and their meat is ground and dried for food.